New Zealand’s currency and stocks were little changed, maintaining weekly declines, before a general election tomorrow that polls show may not deliver a clear majority to either of the main two parties.

The U.S. Labor Department sued four investment firms for allegedly failing to examine swindler Bernard Madoff ’s business practices before entrusting him with hundreds of millions of dollars in pension funds.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a former investment banker who promised to end “business as usual,” is maintaining predecessor Richard M. Daley’s two-decade tradition of shunning competitive bids in his first bond sale.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key began forming a government after his National party gained its best election result in 60 years, securing support from two smaller parties to ensure a majority in parliament.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge James Peck said he never approved the final details of how billions of dollars of assets were to be distributed in bankrupt Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. ’s sale of its brokerage to Barclays Plc.

New Zealand’s dollar rose against a majority of its 16 major peers after Prime Minister John Key was re-elected with his party’s biggest mandate in 60 years, strengthening his ability to balance the budget.

Asian stocks fell for a third day, headed for a fourth weekly loss, amid concern that Japan may soon be faced with unsustainable lending costs as Europe’s debt crisis shows no sign of easing, damping the earnings outlook for Asian exporters.